Lotus has just revealed what it claims is just the start of a “new era” for the historic British sports car maker; a 612-hp supercar dubbed the Elite. Output comes from a 5.0-liter V8 (likely sourced from the Lexus IS-F), but rather than that car’s 400+ horsepower number, the Elite makes an incredible 612-hp at 531 ft-lbs of torque.
Lotus will officially take the wraps off its new flagship model at the Paris Auto Show on September 30th, where it will also showcase several other new models.
This 2+2 seater (based on a modified version of the Evora platform) will also be available with a KERS-style hybrid system that allows for added boosts of electric power. That power will be stored in a battery pack and created by converting the heat from braking into energy.
Also of note, Lotus will offer the car with a retractable hardtop.
“Make no mistake, there’s a definite market requirement for the Elite,” said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, “it’s the ultimate sports car feel with comfort and space. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn’t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it’s based on months of careful research and planning. It’s worth noting this sector has been very successful for us in the past and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still.”
Introduction
A new Lotus Elise? No, not really. The 2011 Lotus Elise receives a face-lift that aligns it with the 2+2 Evora, but underneath, little has changed. And that could be a good thing, depending on your priorities. Since the diminutive little roadster debuted in the U.S. six years ago, it has seen little in the way of changes. An all-new Elise is in development, but it's at least four years away.
For the time being, the Elise continues to deliver supercar performance without the supercar price. Lotus achieved this by adhering to founder Colin Chapman's key principle to minimize weight as much as possible, both in size and engineering. This allows for a smaller and more economical engine without the sacrifices associated with reduced power. The resulting acceleration and handling makes the Elise one of the most entertaining sports cars on the market.
But the narrow focus on performance has drawbacks of its own. Comfort plays second fiddle to athleticism, as the Elise's ride quality is as harsh as you're likely to encounter. It's also incredibly loud and cramped inside, while entering and exiting the car requires all sorts of unusual body contortions. Creature comforts also fall by the wayside, as common amenities like power steering, a glovebox, cruise control, vanity mirrors and power seats are not even offered as options.
Lotus might just be the most undervalued and underappreciated automaker on the planet. Sure hard core track enthusiasts and auto buffs know of cars like the Elise and Exige that deliver almost unimaginably good handling; but without a vehicle that has genuine mainstream appeal, the only time you’re likely to hear mention of the British brand is if you run across a club racer track junkie or are watching a program on the history of motorsports. That is, until now.
The Evora is the new flagship model from Lotus and represents an important step in the history of the brand. In fact, in many ways it reminds us of some earlier Porsche models, offering an exceptionally raw driving experience, in a mostly refined package, but with a few eccentricities.
Weighing just a touch over 3,000 lbs, it needs just 276-hp from a mid-mounted V6 engine in order to hit 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds – making it a perfect rival to Porsche’s Cayman. But in so many other ways, it’s not like a Cayman at all.
Lotus would tell you that it’s because the Evora is technically a 2+2 and the only mid-engined 2+2 in the world. That’s somewhat misleading, however, as the rear seats are about as useful as the ones in a MINI.
The real reasons include the car’s looks, its bespoke characteristics and its less-than-polished engineering traits – some of which are drawbacks, but many of which just add to the car’s unique character.
There's no mistaking it for a generic sports car. It's a Lotus Exige, sitting low and wide with extreme curves hiding the obvious race machinery beneath.
It's as exotic as any Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Aston Martin sharing the showroom. It's small but aggressive stance demands attention – and after just 10 seconds behind the wheel I find myself answering questions for an enthused fellow motorist at the traffic lights.
It gets attention everywhere. Well, apart from four wheel drive blind spots, that is. It's low stance (1.16 metres) can be a weak spot meaning that many drivers will not even register your presence, however this car has few attributes that weren't fully researched, engineered and tested, and in my eyes the pros far outweigh the cons.
The Exige is an out and out race car with every bit of R&D shaping the car for pure performance. It becomes apparent once a good speed is reached (100km/h is only 4.1 seconds away from standstill in our tester) and the driver becomes aware that he keeps braking for corners and bends where it is simply not required.
The brakes are far oversized for general road use, and combined with it's low weight of 935kg, double wishbone suspension, brilliant steering and semi-slick road legal racing tyres, I believe the car outshines it's lower safety equipment rating with the very best ‘crash avoidance’ equipment I've experienced.
Lotus Cars USA, the subsidiary of Lotus Cars in North America, today unveiled the MY2007 Lotus Sport Exige Cup. Unveiled at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, the 252 hp, supercharged and intercooled sportscar is a completely out-of-the-box track car with a specification designed to prepare the budding driver for the grid at some of the finest and most challenging circuits in North America.
Weight has been kept to an ultra low 1800 pounds and the phenomenal power to weight ratio has been further enhanced by increasing the power output from 243 hp to 252 hp. Weight saving (or adding lightness!) has been achieved through the effective use of lightweight materials and through the eradication of all non-essential components such roof trim, carpets, front mudflaps, central locking and bulkhead trim. Of course just having fantastic power to weight doesn’t make a car a high performer on the track, so the Lotus Sport Exige Cup has a list of standard equipment that includes track only slick tires, uprated 4-piston front brakes, adjustable dampers and adjustable anti-sway bar, the latest SCCA-compliant roll cage, FIA approved Lotus Sport branded driver’s seat with six-point driver harness (there is no passenger seat) and a lightweight rear screen (instead of glass). The options are even more race focused with a FIA approved 70 litre fuel cell, air-jack system and level two stainless steel exhaust with de-cat pipe, a plate type limited slip differential and Star Shield.
The Lotus Sport Exige Cup is one of the quickest cars around a circuit. Key to this incredible performance is the aerodynamic package, which produces over 90 pounds of downforce at 100 mph increasing grip and ultimately safety at higher speeds.
Geneva, Switzerland (6th March 2007), Lotus Sport, the race car
performance arm of Lotus Cars Ltd, today unveiled the Lotus Exige GT3
concept road vehicle. With its debut at the 77th annual Geneva
International Motor Show, the 275 PS (271 bhp / 203 kW) Exige GT3 is a bold,
no-holds-barred, lap record-breaking, breathtaking performance machine that
embraces all that is expected of a race-bred Lotus.
Building on the Lotus racing pedigree, this concept car can deliver
more grin-factor than ever before; there are no intended compromises and no
limits except those that are self imposed by the driver.
This is one concept that commands your full attention.
Said Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer for Group Lotus plc:
"The Exige GT3 concept road car is a fantastic showcase product from
our race car performance division, Lotus Sport. The car's racing background
becomes immediately obvious from its aggressive stance, extreme width of
rear track and innovative three-dimensional rear wing. The foundation of
all Lotus products is phenomenal handling and ride characteristics, but the
Exige GT3 takes these into another dimension altogether where supreme road
holding and outrageous acceleration come evenly matched with sensational
stopping ability."
Lotus is renowned for building cars with superb handling, no pesky electronic aids and none of the unnecessary extras that add to the final kerb weight. Living with a Lotus is meant to be compromise, but it’s a compromise worth living with because of the payoff the cars deliver when driven at a track. This is where models like the Elise and Exige reveal why their harsh ride, noisy engines and cumbersome entry are highly sought after by motoring enthusiasts around the world.
Despite the reputation for building some of the best track cars of all time, there are people out there who desire a more easy-going Lotus, a car with the comfort of a premium GT. This is why the guys from Hethel have developed the Europa S, a derivative of the hardcore Elise but with an opulent by Lotus standards interior, improved accessibility and a host of accessories and features not usually found in the light weight roadsters. Some of the niceties Europa S owners can enjoy most of us normally take for granted include ABS brakes, dual front airbags, climate control air-conditioning, leather trim and satellite navigation.
Lotus Sport, the race car performance arm of Lotus Cars Ltd, today unveiled the new Lotus 2-Eleven. Launched at the 77th annual Geneva International Motor Show, the Lotus 2-Eleven is aimed at the true track day enthusiast, taking Colin Chapman’s philosophy of ‘Performance Through Lightweight’ to its most extreme level yet.
Weighing in at just 670 kg (1,477 lbs) with 255 PS (252 bhp / 188 kw) on tap courtesy of its supercharged and intercooled 1796 cc engine, the Lotus 2-Eleven boasts a power to weight ratio similar to that of a 1960’s Formula One car. Designed with the most serious of track day enthusiasts in mind, the Lotus 2-Eleven offers race car levels of performance coupled with legendary Lotus Ride and Handling to deliver a truly outstanding track day car.
Said Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer for Group Lotus plc: “The Lotus 2-Eleven takes our core brand values to the extreme. It is the ultimate track day vehicle - not only phenomenally quick, but also very user-friendly. In short, the 2-Eleven delivers everything that the modern track day warrior and clubman racer demands, and more.”
Production of the Lotus 2-Eleven is scheduled to commence in April 2007 at the awardwinning and world-class Lotus manufacturing facility at Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, UK. The 2-Eleven build will be completed in dedicated Lotus Sport workshops and each vehicle will be given a Lotus Sport build plate.
The 2006 Lotus Elise 111R represents a new benchmark for both power and performance in a production Elise. Its VVTL-I engine produces 190 bhp and peak torque is 133 lb/ft, achieving 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds, and an official top speed of 150 mph.
For 2006, the full Elise 111R range offers many more options, including four equipment setups – two sports variants and two touring options. There is even the option of combining elements from the different packs, for luxury and race-readiness.
Alongside the new equipments specs, LED rear lights with built-in reflectors come as standard, offering more responsive illumination and carrying less weight than standard bulbs. The door has been fitted with a window seal to decrease cabin noise, and the rev counter has been redesigned to accentuate the high end (3,000 – 10,000 rpm).
Here's the Lotus for you if the Elise is bit pedestrian for your tastes. Appropriately named 'Circuit Car', the single-seater (with an optional second seat) was conceived by Lotus boffins to carve up the opposition at track days and club-racing events.
Based on the more mainstream Elise/Exige, the Circuit Car will be built in limited numbers from mid-2006 at Lotus headquarters in Hethel. Like its ultra-nimble Exige sibling, it features lightweight composite bodywork and a Toyota-sourced 1.8-litre VVT-I engine.
However, where the Exige's engine makes do with air gulped in at atmospheric pressure, the Circuit Car uses forced induction as a metaphoric firecracker up the backside. The Roots-type Eaton M62 supercharger with air-to-air intercooler lifts power and torque to 181kW and 236Nm respectively.
Lotus Sport, the performance division of Lotus Cars Ltd., has developed the Lotus Sport Exige 240R, a limited edition high performance sportscar with total global build volumes kept strictly to 50 cars.
Lotus Sport will build the Lotus Sport Exige 240R within its facilities at the Group Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk. This facility, located in the centre of the famous Hethel Test Track, has a great history of producing bespoke versions of Lotus products and can list the Lotus Sport Exige 400 hp racecar and over 100 Elise and Exige racing cars in its portfolio.
With a supercharged and intercooled high revving engine producing over 240 hp and over 170 lbft of torque, the Lotus Sport Exige 240R reaches 60 mph in less than 4 seconds and 100 mph (160 km/h) in less than 10 seconds before topping out at 155 mph (249 km/h). At this top speed the advanced aerodynamics produce 113 kg of downforce increasing grip, stability and safety.
The 50 versions of the Lotus Sport Exige 240R will be built as post registration official factory conversions of new Lotus Exiges. Up to 40 of these cars will be sold in the EU and the balance is intended to be predominantly sold in Japan. The suffix of 240R indicates the approximate horsepower of the engine, conservatively rounded down from the actual figure of 243 hp (181 kW, 247 PS). The total unladen weight is approximately 930 kg and the power to weight is approximately 261 hp / tonne (195 kW / tonne, 266 PS / tonne).
Lotus Sport, the performance division of Lotus Cars Ltd., has developed the new Lotus Sport Exige, a direct motorsport derivative of the successful Lotus Exige.
The Lotus designed and engineered racecar was part manufactured by RTN, the team responsible for the Le Mans winning Bentley, using the latest motorsport techniques and procedures to produce a lightweight yet strong carbon-fibre bodywork structure around the standard road-going Lotus Exige Aluminium extruded and bonded chassis.
The Lotus Sport designed fully adjustable suspension system with double wishbones all round was fabricated and manufactured by Pilbeam. Power is provided by a 400 hp Swindon Racing Engines tuned GM 3 litre V6 racing engine linked to a Hewland sequential six-speed gearbox, with AP-Racing providing the braking system.
This one-off racecar has been built for a South East Asian client and is expected to race in selected sportscar races in Asia. There are no plans as yet to build further examples of the Lotus Sport Exige but the base structure has been carefully designed to comply with key motorsport regulations around the world. Adhering to the key Lotus philosophy of performance through lightweight, the Lotus Sport Exige weighs in at just 850kg.
The whole project, conducted in complete secrecy has taken less than 6 months and the car will run for the first time at the 2½ mile Hethel test track in mid January.
Chris Arnold, General Manager for Lotus Sport explains the philosophy behind the Lotus Sport Exige:
“The Lotus Sport Exige is a competition car developed directly from the road going Exige. The racecar uses the existing tub with only minor modifications, and careful design has enabled Lotus Sport to package an upgraded powertrain assembly whilst maintaining an equivalent weight to the existing road car. When this package is combined with further improvements to suspension and bodywork, it produces a fantastic looking car with great track potential.
The car has been taken from concept to reality in only six months and I thank all our engineering partners and the staff at Lotus who have worked so hard on this fantastic project.”
As the Lotus Sport Exige is, at present, a one-off racecar, a price cannot be given for the racecar package.
